Martin Boyle insists signing a new deal at Hibernian had nothing to do with Aberdeen’s failed £500,000 bid after admitting that talks had been ongoing for months.
The Australia international put pen to paper on an improved three-year deal yesterday in the wake of the Dons tabling an offer that was turned down by the Easter Road board.
Boyle had only agreed fresh terms just 12 months ago, although he confirmed that the £500,000 buy out clause for teams outwith Scotland has now been removed from the new contract.
The 28-year-old enjoyed a stunning campaign last year after scoring 15 goals and contributing with 12 assists.
Boyle has already netted five times from seven outings this season, prompting Hibs head coach Jack Ross to describe him as one of the best wingers in Scotland.
Speaking about the deal and the interest from Aberdeen, Boyle said: “It was nothing to do with Aberdeen. This has been in the pipeline for months.
“A deal was agreed for me to sign on Tuesday and nothing had changed.
“It was obviously flattering and it means I am doing something right but my loyalty and commitment is to this club.
“It’s all down to happiness for me. My family are happy here and I am buzzing to get it done.
“I feel there is a plan in place at Hibs and long may it continue.
“We want to keep pushing and challenging. The manager has committed, as have I, so hopefully we get a few others too.
“It’s not up to us to convince others but we would like all the fantastic players we have to stay.”
Asked if the bid was a surprise, Boyle added: “I was heading towards Asda to get my shopping when I got the phone call.
“I was told that Aberdeen had bid and it was flattering.
“It’s my hometown club and I supported them at a young age.
“But at the same time, I have lived in Edinburgh for years and this is my home now.
“This is where I will continue to be for the foreseeable future.
“This contract shows that I am committed, so it will probably stop a lot of that. I am happy here.”
Confirming there was no buyout clause in the new deal, Boyle said: “I can confirm the clause has been taken out. Everything is down to Hibs.
“If anything happens, it will be down to the club.”
Boyle has flourished since joining Hibs from Dundee in 2015 and admits he has come a long way from the days of working on Donald Trump’s golf course in Aberdeenshire during his stint in the part-time ranks with Montrose.
“It was great playing for Montrose,” he added. “I was 17 or 16 years old going into a big boy dressing room and that was an eye-opener.
“I had worked through an agency where every week I did something different. I helped build Donald Trump’s golf course, doing all the sand dunes and digging out the weeds and all that. So thanks to him.
“I was unloading boxes off the back of a lorry and putting them into vans. I was doing a lot of stuff like that.
“Every week was different. It was mayhem then I left work to go to training at night but I had young legs so I could run round them all. It was great.
“I know I’m in a privileged position now where I come into my work every day with a smile on my face.
“All I wanted to do when I was a little boy, be a professional footballer and thankfully I have done that.
“It’s probably why I don’t set myself any targets because my target was to be a professional footballer and I’ve met that target. That’s all I need to do.”
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